Receiving communion twice in a day

[LilyM]

I think the confusion is as to whether one has an official liturgical role in the Mass, such as reader or cantor or Extraordinary Minister of Holy Communion. This is NOT what is meant by participating in the Mass. It means what you said it means - paying attention and praying along.

So, yes, a person may receive Holy Communion twice in one day, provided the second time is at a Mass in which he participates.

My concern is that it is not a great idea to make a habit of doing this. Holy Communion is INFINITE! One Holy Communion is more than anyone could ever dream of (if you really understand what’s happening when you receive). Can you improve upon infinity by multiplying it? No. It is infinite the first time. There is no more.

So while the occasional circumstance may arise when one attends two Masses in one day for some special reason, I don’t think it’s a good idea to multiply your Masses and Communions out of habit or the idea that if one is good, two is better. Let’s go once and really cherish it.

Betsy

What gives you this idea? We are commanded to attend Mass every week and receive Communion at a minimum once a year. While objectively, of course, their value is infinite, our limitations as humans are such that their practical benefit for us is not. That is why we are commanded to attend Mass so often and receive Communion repeatedly. And of course Pope St Pius X exhorted all the faithful to attend Mass and receive Communion daily if possible.

Now I take your point that with Mass, as with all prayer, attentiveness is more important than quantity. However, it’s certainly possible to combine both, and provided that one’s work schedule and other obligations permit, Mass twice in a day is not excessive.

I’m personally less comfortable with the idea of receiving Communion twice in a day. Harsalter, is this something you do on a daily or frequent basis? Remember that Our Lord spoke of ‘our daily bread’ and that the Israelites received their manna in the desert once a day. The implication is that, ordinarily, to receive once is more than sufficient for each day. You may want to examine, and discuss with your spiritual director or confessor, why you feel the need to regularly receive more than once a day, if you do so.

 

[Harsalter]

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You may want to examine, and discuss with your spiritual director or confessor, why you feel the need to regularly receive more than once a day, if you do so.

Lily, please reread my initial post, and you will find that I DO NOT FIND IT NECESSARY TO ATTEND TWO MASSES PER DAY AND RECEIVE COMMUNION TWICE, but when traveling, I love visiting different catholic cathedrals and churches, and sometimes then and when the occasion arises that I am attending two Masses in a day, I was simply curious if it was ok to partake communion twice in a day. This is when I am traveling only.

And why the heck not? My priest just told me yesterday that a lot of the saints did this. So maybe thats why most of you (and me for that matter) questioned the practice, and didn’t understand the goodness of attending mutliple Masses, as we aren’t saints yet.

So many catholics, yet so many ignorant of their own faith. Imagine someone questioning someone’s motives for going to church too often and receiving God’s gift. That is actually what happened here from some of you!

But yet, I asked the question to begin with so I am no better informed, but I was just confirmed. But I now know the “correct” answer when someone else asks.

 

[Harsalter]

Actually, I am free all day tomorrow. I think I shall attend a 7 am Mass at one local parish, then another at 12 noon at different parish.

I feel in the mood to worship and get closer to Christ.

I am now glad that I now know there is nothing forbidding such conduct.

 

[jmcrae]

Actually, I am free all day tomorrow. I think I shall attend a 7 am Mass at one local parish, then another at 12 noon at different parish.

Don’t forget to observe the Communion fast both times.

I feel in the mood to worship and get closer to Christ.

I am now glad that I now know there is nothing forbidding such conduct.

It’s fine as long as it doesn’t interfere with your health, or with the normal duties of your state in life.

 

[baltobetsy]

Until 1983 when the new Code of Canon Law was promulgated, receiving Holy Communion was permitted only once per day. We pray in the Our Father about our “daily” bread. When the law changed, we were not encouraged, but permitted to receive a second time if we attended Mass after having received once already.

So it seems to be the mind of the Church that receiving once per day is the norm. As I reflected on why that would be, it occurred to me that the Mass and Holy Communion are indeed of infinite value. Infinity times two is still infinity. By definition it cannot increase.

And God wants most of us, as lay people who do not have church-related careers, to glorify Him and bring Him to the world through our everyday activities, not camping out in Church for multiple Masses every day. (Please note that I am not referring the the OP’s situation on vacation, or any other circumstance outside of everyday life.)

So I still contend that once-daily Mass and Communion are ideal for most people, most of the time. We make it the high point of the day - the summit and source of our life.

Betsy